The Gauntlet Blazes On
by Cerulean Pen
Summary: "Her final wish was for you to be her. Rainbow wants you to survive her spirit, her loyalty to be more exact. She needs you. She needs you to be the Element of Loyalty, Scootaloo."
1. Chapter 1: The Letter

The Gauntlet Blazes On

Summary: "Her final wish was for you to be her. Rainbow wants you to survive her spirit, her loyalty to be more exact. She needs you. She needs you to be the Element of Loyalty, Scootaloo."

English Friendship/Hurt/Comfort Rated: T Chapters: Words: Scootaloo

Part One:

The Letter

The letter had no return address or even a significant marking. Just her own name, printed neatly in the corner. For hours, the envelope had sat patiently on the kitchen table, and now, Scootaloo eyed it as she enjoyed a breakfast of freshly-picked apples and daisies. She was accustomed to fan mail, irritated by it even, but the cautious faction of her mind (at least, what was left of it) proposed the letter might be something different.

"You're gonna keep staring at me until I open you," the orange pegasus declared wryly, placing the last of her daisies back on the dish. As usual, the envelope had no response. She sighed, nudging the plate away and reaching across to retrieve the lone piece of mail. "If you're fan mail, I swear… " Scootaloo utilized her teeth to tear the seal, wincing at the ghastly flavor of saliva and dried glue. An ivory sheet of parchment unfurled itself across the tablecloth, and, her curiosity piqued, Scootaloo leaned in to read it.

_Dear Scootaloo,_

_You may not remember me, but I am Twilight Sparkle, a close friend of Rainbow Dash and a bearer of the Element of Magic. I am terribly sorry to inform you that Rainbow Dash passed on in her sleep three days ago. She was a truly magnificent mare and led a life that she should have been extremely proud of. I have written to you to pass on the message she had for you, before she passed on._

_Her final wish was for you to be her. Rainbow wants you to survive her spirit, her loyalty to be more exact. She needs you. She needs you to be the Element of Loyalty, Scootaloo. _

_Rainbow Dash loved you with all of her heart, and her wish was for you to carry on her legacy. You see, incase you were not already aware, the original Elements of Harmony have all passed on. I am the lone survivor, but I know my days are numbered. So, after consultation with the princesses, we have decided six new ponies must be chosen to replace us._

_Scootaloo, Rainbow wanted you to be the Element of Loyalty. If she truly believed this was your future, I believe her. You are a loyal mare, and I believe that with your help, you can find the remaining five. So, if your Wonderbolt schedule clears, I invite you back to Ponyville. I will be in my library if you wish to locate me and I hope you do pay me a visit. It seems all my friends have gone._

_Good luck Scootaloo. I have faith in you._

_Sincerely,_

_Twilight Sparkle_

Scootaloo had once plummeted at full speed into a gravel-laden clearing. She could recall the sensation: a sickening moment of fear as she realized she was losing control, the struggle to swerve away, the skull-shattering sounds once she collided with the Earth. All of that was nothing- - no, less than nothing, compared to the shock now. For the better part of five minutes, the pegasus stared listlessly at the verbose message, rereading it multiple times for full comprehension.

The ice quickly melted: Scootaloo had always been an emotional mare. _Rainbow Dash is _**dead? **Tears pooled in her gray-violet eyes and that feeling set in. The gravel against her cheek, the terror of never breathing again, the Earth spinning cheerfully on, knowing she was dying. Rainbow Dash wasn't **dead. **This was a mare who had crashed through a canopy of foliage, fractured her left wing, sprained both forelegs, and received a severe concussion. She had limped away from the accident site with a somewhat delirious smile, while rivulets of scarlet blood cascaded down her cheek.

_"And that is how you crash. Any questions?"_

Peguasi like Rainbow didn't **die. **Even when facing the gargantuan maw of **Death, **they would be dragged away kicking and screaming. They did not slip quietly into the night, like Applejack, Rarity, and Fluttershy. There was, without a doubt, no way to replace Dash, or even consider following in her hoof steps. She had left a mark on Equestria that no amount of time could erode.

"Elements of Harmony, Elements of Harmony," Scootaloo found herself repeating darkly, wings lifting her right off the cumulus flooring. A strangled chuckle escaped her throat, having to battle a sob that was preparing to leave her lungs. "Yeah Twilight, I'll just take Rainbow's place as Loyalty. You know, not a problem. I'LL JUST TAKE THE JOB AND MAYBE PICK UP SOME GROCERIES WHILE I'M DOWN THERE!"

Yelling always seemed to help. In fact, Scootaloo screamed while she tore the envelope to jagged squares and stormed around her home, addressing any inanimate object that reminded her, even vaguely, of Rainbow Dash. "YOU WERE THERE FOR MY FIRST RACE, WHEN I JOINED THE JUNIOR SPEEDSTERS, WHEN I MADE THE WONDERBOLTS! Where are you now?"

Throat swollen and eyes stinging, the mare leaned against her sofa, glaring at the remnants of Twilight's parchment. As much as she desired to project her rage at Twilight for bearing the bad news, Scootaloo couldn't so much as think an ill thought of the unicorn. Twilight Sparkle had lost all of her friends and was now living her final days in solitude. Scootaloo may have been grieving, but Twilight had been mourning for years.

She had been writing Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle whenever possible, which wasn't often, since her schedule made Discord seem well-balanced and her mouth-writing was atrocious. They had reported the deaths of Applejack and Rarity, respectively, along with Pinkie's and Fluttershy's. Because the average life span of a pony was nothing remotely remarkable, Scootaloo hadn't been surprised. Remorseful, yes, miserable, yes. But not surprised.

At least Rainbow Dash had kept Twilight company. She sniffled and swiped at her eyes, the image of the brash pegasus sharing a cup of tea with her close friend surfacing in her mind. "I bet you even let her talk about her studies," Scootaloo said aloud, repelling the spirits with the abrupt appearance of speech.

This Element of Harmony business. Who was Twilight kidding? Scootaloo may have been loyal: she never abandoned her fellow crusaders, not even when both acquired cutie marks before her. But Rainbow Dash embodied the very word. Her concealed compassion for her best friends was more powerful than any of the villains they had ever faced. Scootaloo could never be that. Not even close.

"Twilight, you must be older than I thought. Nopony can even get close to the real Elements. Your magic, Dash's loyalty, who can compare? How am I going to find somebody to replace that? How are _you _going to find them?"

Groaning softly, Scootaloo left her perch on the sofa, gliding to the window that faced the southernmost region of Ponyville. From her magnificent height, she could view the pleasant bustle as the citizens rushed off to work and school. Twilight's library was quite a flight across the town, and would it be worth the trip?

_Guess I'll find out. Twilight, you better know what you're talking about._

:::::

It had been a while since Scootaloo had paid the ground a visit and her hooves complained once they came in contact with the unusually rough surface. While on break from their summer performances, the Wonderbolts had undergone a stressful series of conditionings. To be blunt, they were worse than a trip to Tartarus and twice as exhausting.

The ponies around her hadn't changed though. In Ponyville, where politeness and chivalry was cultivated and bred through generations, it was exceedingly rare to come across somepony without a thread of courtesy. Smiles were cast her way, along with the occasional wave of the hoof. She missed this, the peacefulness, the daily routine. She missed Ponyville.

Try she must, Scootaloo failed to locate a pony she was familiar with, or had known in her fillyhood. She felt like she was in a brand new town, complete with a different set of characters. For a moment, Scootaloo felt isolated, utterly alone despite the throngs of mares and stallions surrounding her. The feeling dissipated instantly when she recognized a gangly, beige pegasus at the steps of Ponyville's only art gallery.

"Featherweight?" With the flick of his oversized ears, the stallion turned on his wings to perceive his old classmate drifting towards him. Glad to see her, he grinned, revealing a set of slightly bucked teeth. In spite of the years that had passed since elementary school, Featherweight had yet to lose his rather awkward attributes.

"Oh, hi Scootaloo! It's great to see you!" Never much one for words, Featherweight stopped speaking and continued to smile at the mare. She found him cute, maybe not handsome, not yet, but the boyish nature of his visage was endearing.

"Hey, good to see you too. Let me guess: your pictures are in the gallery?" Scootaloo gestured at the ornate structure with a hoof, smirking when he flushed and folded his wings to his side, as if embarrassed by this fact.

"Yeah. Taking photos for the school paper really pushed me down the right path," Featherweight explained sheepishly, pointing to the display pinned to the enormous windows. A sign declared his name and offered an example of his work. It was a photograph of Cloudsdale from a great distance, so far that a portion of ground was visible as well. Seated on the ground was a young filly, her wings folded to her sides. Scootaloo remembered being that filly.

"Wow, that's amazing. You're pretty talented." She noticed the time printed below his name was drawing near, so she offered one last smile. "Well, it was awesome seeing you, Featherweight. When I'm done here, I might drop in to see your work. Take care."

"You too, Scootaloo. Bye!" The stallion waved a final time before trotting into the gorgeous foyer of the gallery. Once completely hidden from view, Featherweight slid to the marble floor, a rather goofy grin spreading across his face.

_"Scootaloo…"_

:::::

The library had been carved into an enormous oak tree, but it seemed like the tree had grown irritated by having a pony live within it. Vines choked the windows and roots sprawled across the front walk, cracking the soil pathway. The parapet, once sturdy and glistening, looked about as steady as a cloud beneath an earth pony. From Scootaloo's view, the building remnants visible had been scarred by extreme weather throughout the years. Yet somehow, it still seemed comforting, inviting.

Since there was no lock on the door, the pegasus stepped in without a second thought and instantly surveyed her surroundings. She had to assume Spike was no longer assisting Twilight, which explained the rather shabby condition of the core library. Books were stacked on every shelf, scrolls littered the floor and several inkpots were overturned. Quills floated around her ears, giving the illusion of entering the arena of a cock fight. This wasn't just shabby… this was wrong.

Brow furrowed, Scootaloo glided over to the pedestal where Twilight Sparkle used to display her latest read. Instead of a tome bearing some complex magical spell, there was a scrap of parchment being ignited by a fallen candle. "Ah!" She swiftly beat the flame out with her wing, saving the piece from impending doom. For the second time that day, she settled down to read another message from Twilight.

_Scootaloo,_

_I don't have much time, for I can hear somepony trying to get into the library. This isn't for a visit. There's a reason I wanted to get you here. The Elements need to be found. Equestria is at risk again, and we can't do this on our own. Please, if you find this, continue your search…with or without me._

_And never forget- -_

The remainder of the sentence was interrupted by a border of black, an unfortunate result of the candle. Frustrated, Scootaloo knocked the wax stub across the library, pleased when the sound of it striking the wall reverberated. Why was nothing going right? Who had kidnapped Twilight? And what should she not forget?

"This is stupid. Not even stupid, this is crazy! Equestria at risk? Why can't the princess deal with this like she did with Princess Luna?" Her multiple questions were left unanswered by the eerie silence of the abandoned space. Twilight had stood here just minutes ago. She had been writing this letter to Scootaloo frantically, scrawling it out in such a way that made her own writing seem like calligraphy.

"I don't want to do this by myself," Scootaloo whispered dejectedly, a certain bleakness washing over her. "There's got to be some other way. I _can't _do this by myself. I wish… Rainbow Dash was here."

Rainbow would have known what to do. When confronted by a manticore during one of their lessons, the pegasus had flown up to it, chuckled softly, and bucked it hard enough to loosen one of his needle-sharp fangs. She was brave, loyal, unafraid to live life to its fullest extent.

_Her final wish was for you to be her._

"Sorry Dash. I just can't be you."

:::::

One last walk was all she needed. Exerted both psychically and emotionally, the mare was prepared to shuffle back through Ponyville, engage in a brief flight back to Cloudsdale, and sleep until tomorrow evening. Her wings drooped like drapes across her flanks; her violet mane was limp with perspiration. Maybe a quick shower could be added to the schedule.

By now, Celestia's sun had shifted to its zenith, proudly glowing over the cheerful little town. Scootaloo glanced up at the few weather ponies lazily dissipating clouds with their wings and pitied them. Unlike Rainbow Dash, she had never wished to acquire such a mundane job. Being a Wonderbolt was much more her speed.

The area that was closest to her home lay just on the outskirts of the marketplace, where businesses and residences were almost nonexistent. She was alone. Although this had troubled her before, Scootaloo was grateful for her privacy. She needed time to contemplate her quandary.

On the furthest span of land before the horizon led it out of sight, there was an outgrowth of ridiculously large trees and vines, overlooking a grove of stones. Whether the vegetation was difficult to care for or simply left alone, it was difficult to tell, but either way, the patch was thick. As Scootaloo stretched her withers to prepare for flight, she eyed the trees with uncertainty for their safety.

Finally. Time to go home and get in- -

"HELP!"

_Oh, what now? _The irked pegasus refrained from vocalizing the statement, instead flaring her wings and leaning towards the source of the sound. Of course, it was emitted from the same outgrowth she had eyed moments ago. _Today is just not my day, is it?_

Scootaloo arrived at the edge of the vines like a bolt from the blue, surveying the tentacle-like swirls that seemed to swallow all other ground. Once again, the pitiful cry found its way to her ears. "Hold on, I'm coming!" she replied, flittering every which way in search of an entrance. The canopy of said patch was laced with moss, but Scootaloo never minded getting her hooves dirty.

Underneath the veil, however, a whole other world blossomed. Darkness fell over her swifter than Nightmare Moon's return and her feathers instantly bent as they came in contact with unseen objects. "OW!" Struggling to stay upright, Scootaloo concentrated on adjusting to the change in light and locating the victim.

"Help, help!" Her ears perked at the screech, which could have belonged to a filly or a shrilly-voiced colt. Whoever it was, they were nearby. Scootaloo dove to evade a creaking bough, her lightning quick reflexes coming in handy as she dodged the natural obstacles. "Help me!"

"I'm coming, just keep talkin'!" the mare exclaimed, her hoof barely missing a rotting log. She tumbled through a spiral of ivy that created a wall, and, her forelegs knotted like old yo-yo strings, caught a glimpse of the poor foal.

The butter-yellow filly was suspended by a single branch, her cheeks glowing with the blood rushing to her skull. Her orange mane hung like a curtain, a cerulean ribbon clinging to the last curl. Scootaloo, held at an angle that she was certain couldn't possibly be good for her body, sighed in relief to see the girl wasn't injured. In fact, she didn't seem too young; maybe the age Scootaloo herself had been during late elementary school.

"Hey, kid, take it easy, I'll get you out of here," the pegasus assured, flapping her wings in the hopes of freeing herself. The ivy held fast, but lost the battle to a kick that almost stripped the vines clean of their leaves. Free of the forest death trap, Scootaloo went to work with untangling the filly's tail from the branch.

"And there you go! See, wasn't so hard." Afraid to release her and lose her in the bottomless oblivion, Scootaloo held tightly onto her as she flew through the canopy again. In the daylight, after she blinked the spots away, the pegasus scrutinized the foal again and realized she knew who she was.

"Are you… are you Pumpkin Cake? You know, the Cakes' daughter?" Pumpkin squirmed out of Scootaloo's grasp, landing on her belly and evoking a cringe from the pony. She turned over, gazing up at her savior with thankful eyes that appeared to stare right into her soul. With a nod, Pumpkin rose to her hooves, quickly examining the scrapes she had received in the incident.

_Guess she's not much of a talker. _"Oh. Well, I kind of knew the Cakes and Pinkie Pie." Pumpkin Cake stiffened when the latter was mentioned, her oceanic eyes glistening with tears. "Oh, sorry, I forgot. She was pretty special to you and Pound, wasn't she?"

"Mommy said she went to go live where the sun is," Pumpkin said wistfully, her expression vacant, almost catatonic. "She wasn't old yet. Pinkie said she wouldn't leave us until she was old and gray. Like Daddy. Was Pinkie your friend?"

_Mommy said she went to go live where the sun is. _The haunting explanation of **Death **echoed within her mind, still carrying the filly's dulcet tone. If the Cakes were alive… Scootaloo paged through her memories, hoping to recall the content of Sweetie's latest letter…

… _went to my parents' house Sunday for Mother's Day, and had dinner with them. It was nice, but I don't know if they quite approve of me yet. A daughter who's a…_

Sweetie Belle's parents were alive; Apple Bloom, though vague on the topic, mentioned taking a train to Appleloosa on Sunday as well. That meant… the Elements of Harmony must have **died **young. Perhaps not young enough to be considered so, but they definitely had life to live.

Pumpkin cocked her head, studying the mare who saved her from plummeting to the thickets below. She was aware attempting to maneuver objects in such harsh conditions was a rather stupid decision, and promised to never try again. She was lucky, Pumpkin thought, to have somebody around at the time. "Miss? Miss, are you okay?"

"Hmm? Oh, yeah… say, uh, Pumpkin, your Mom and Dad, they're, um, Cup and Carrot, right?" A nod confirmed this. "Right. Would you mind if I walked you home? I'd like to see them again and kind of explain to them what happened. Sound good?" The petite unicorn responded physically yet again, and trotted after Scootaloo as she lurched forward, movements unconscious. Side by side, they started into Ponyville, with a single thought surfacing in Scootaloo's mind.

_With all the stuff going on today, something tells me I won't be getting that nap anytime soon._


	2. Chapter 2: The Bakery

Part Two:

The Bakery

Sugar Cube Corner was bustling with activity, and for a brief moment, Scootaloo could believe Pinkie Pie was hosting one of her famous parties. Music rattled the tinted windows; ponies were trotting in and out, chatting with their friends; the exterior was tastefully decorated. Scootaloo half-expected the roseate mare herself to pop out of nowhere in a shower of confetti, her arrival accompanied by her signature cry of "SURPRISE!"

"It's my Mom's birthday!" Pumpkin Cake's soft voice snapped Scootaloo back into reality, as well as a brisk tug on her violet mane. The filly scampered forward, hesitated, then turned to Scootaloo with those glistening eyes. "Miss, do you want to come? My Mom would probably want to see you and I want to introduce you to my family."

Scootaloo had never been much for parties, but if it meant learning more about the **deaths** of the mane six, she would stand up in front of the entire crowd and announce she was with foal. Besides, it might be nice to reconcile with some of the ponies of her fillyhood. She felt like she was slowly reintroducing herself to society, to another world on the ground below. "Sure Pumpkin, I can stay for a while. I'd like to take you straight to your Mom, though."

"Okay!" Pumpkin, once again, halted in her tracks and spun back around, rubbing the back of her neck sheepishly. "Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't even ask what your name was."

Oh, that explained the constant use of the term "miss". "I'm Scootaloo. I live up in Cloudsdale, but today I was down here… visiting an old friend. Guess it was pure luck that I found ya." In a sudden act of affection, she reached out to tousle the filly's mane, which appropriately matched her name. Pumpkin wasn't like her at this age; no, more like Sweetie Belle, with her quieter, more thoughtful demeanor. Still, gazing into Pumpkin's eyes, Scootaloo could see threads of what she had been. What she still was. Could she- -?

"PUMPKIN! PUMPKIN, PUMPKIN, PUMPKIN!"

The mare's ears rang as the unicorn's name was intoned loudly enough to shatter all fragile matter within a five mile radius. This included Scootaloo's tender eardrums. A beige colt bulleted over to the pair, cocoa mane sweeping wildly across his forehead. He collided with Scootaloo, flying at a speed she herself hadn't achieved until her third year at flight school. Even his words were swift, quickly formed. "Oh gee sorry miss didn't see you sorry about that."

Pound Cake jumped off of Scootaloo and was preparing to haggle his sister when the fact struck him like a Sonic Rainboom. He glanced at the mare once, twice, mind assessing the familiar visage with that of the one grinning at him from the poster pinned to the wall. "Oh my dear sweet Celestia!" The young pegasus seized Pumpkin's foreleg, his jaw dislocated from his skull. "Pumpkin. Do you know who you were talking to?"

"Uh, no, what- -"

"Dear sister, you are in the presence of Scootaloo, the leader of the Wonderbolts! The best flier in Equestria!" Pound elicited a ridiculously high-pitched squeal, fluttering around Scootaloo much like she had once done when she idolized Rainbow Dash. He paused to contemplate his next action and chose to kneel before her, bowing unceremoniously. "I am not worthy of you, O' Magnificent Flier!"

"Pound Cake, will you give me a warning the next time you freak out?" the filly asked dryly, dragging her twin away from Scootaloo. "Besides, don't you need to get back to the party? Rewind always ends up causing some trouble at the punch bowl."

As if snapped from a fever dream, the fanatic glint fled from Pound Cake's dark eyes and he gasped. "Oh, I really shouldn't have left. It was super awesome to meet you, Scootaloo!" There came a cry of outrage somewhere deep within the celebration, and Pound sped away, his shouts of "stay at the booth, Rewind!" whipped away by the wind.

"Sorry about him. He's in love with the Wonderbolts and can lose his mind about them. But, Pound Cake can be responsible about other things. He practices flying every single day. And he works at the bakery a lot. He even threw this party! He's getting great at throwing big parties." She smiled apologetically up at Scootaloo.

_Pound is like a perfect blend of Rainbow and Pinkie: loves to fly and throw parties. Is this what Twilight was talking about? Finding the new Elements of Harmony? Ah, too much thinking. I need some punch. _Scootaloo shot her younger accomplice a reassuring grin, proving Pound Cake's dramatic outburst was perfectly fine.

"Let's go! The party will be ending soon!"

:::::

Cup Cake, growing older and still as gorgeous as a dew-beaded rose, trotted into the kitchen, relieved to locate her husband, Carrot. He leaned over to nuzzle his wife's neck affectionately, relishing the silkiness of her pink mane against his coat. "Honey bun, should you really be serving at your own party?"

"Oh, I couldn't let Cotton handle it on his own," Cup insisted, balancing a fresh tray of chocolate cupcakes on her head. "Besides, this way I get to see all of my guests. Why don't you join the party sugar, we've made all of the treats we need to." Carrot hesitated, but followed his wife out of the main kitchen, into the seating area.

Sugar Cube Corner was adorned with a spectrum of streamers, balloons, and a single banner proclaiming "Happy Birthday, Cup Cake!" An enormous table held a vast assortment of pastries: glistening honey buns, meticulously frosted cupcakes, plates of cookies, and a crystal bowl holding Cotton Candy's famous fruit punch. Rewind, the town's DJ, was back at his booth, working the records with his mother's skill.

"Pound has really outdone himself," Cup admitted, placing the cupcakes on the table and rejoining her husband. "I would have been fine with a small party, but… well, Pound really takes after Pinkie Pie when it comes to party-planning."

The colt flew over to his parents, eyes wide as dinner plates and his wings buzzing so rapidly, they were invisible. "Mom! Dad! Mom! Dad! You'll never guess who was walking Pumpkin home! Scootaloo! Of the Wonderbolts!" His voice, made somewhat sandy by his constant exposure to wind, cracked comically when he mentioned the Wonderbolts. "They're coming inside!"

Cup and Carrot exchanged a glance of concern, as well as a thread of sorrow. Because their children were of different species and so gifted in their fields, it proved difficult to share the same hobbies and experiences with them. Pound was obsessed with the Wonderbolts and flight; Pumpkin's goal was to be accepted into Princess Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns. Being earth ponies, the couple could not relate to either of their goals. It hurt, yes, but they could shrug it off. Their children were healthy and happy. That was what mattered.

_Oh. My. Celestia. Way too many ponies. _Tense, Scootaloo moved through the throng of guests, folding her wings to her flanks. Her hatred of parties had only intensified over the years. Whenever the Wonderbolts had to attend the Grand Galloping Gala, Scootaloo often found company in a fan who harbored her identical loathing of crowds. Now though, she was trapped.

"There's Mom!" Pumpkin Cake ducked under plates of treats and between legs with ease, steps quick and light. Scootaloo had to, more or less, cut a path through the maze, jostling ponies left and right, and handing out apologies as she went.

"Pumpkin, where have you been?" the cyan mare asked, enfolding her daughter into a warm embrace. Pumpkin buried herself in her mother's mane, delaying her answer for as long as possible. She wasn't aloud to practice her magic in places where she could injure herself. This include the grove, where Scootaloo had rescued her.

"I, uh, was practicing my magic, and got just a teeny, tiny bit stuck. But I was rescued!" The butter-yellow filly dove into the mass of partygoers and returned with Scootaloo, whose eyes beheld a strange tic. "Mom, this is Scootaloo. She says she knew you when she was a filly, and wanted to meet you."

Cup blinked once, attempting to take in the glut of information. She recognized the pegasus almost immediately: who could forget the tomboyish foal that was a member of the infamous Cutie Mark Crusaders? Scootaloo had even been friends with Pinkie Pie, and was a frequent visitor of the bakery with her mother. It was lovely to see her again, really. "Why, hello Scootaloo, so good to see you! Thank you for saving Pumpkin, she can be a bit reckless with her magic."

"Hey, I got my friend Sweetie out of a couple of jams a lot worse than being stuck in a tree. She once tried to teleport through a wall and got herself stuck in the middle of it." The mares shared a laugh, as well as the fleeting taste of fillyhood. "It's good to see you, too. I was kind of worried, ever since I heard that Pinkie… you know."

"It was hard on all of us," Cup Cake said with a sigh, mind conjuring up the image of her best assistant and, in some ways, adoptive daughter. "She was so good at everything she did and did everything with joy. It was so terrible when she… well, passed on in her sleep."

Scootaloo, who had only been listening with average attention, was body-slammed back into the conversation by the mention of **death. **"Passed on in her sleep?" she repeated dully, struggling to wrap her tongue and mind around those words. "Just… just _went?"_

"Oh, I'm sorry you didn't know, dearie. Yes, it surprised us all. Pinkie was so healthy, really. She had many years to live, the poor thing did. At least there was no suffering. She just went to bed and didn't wake up. But the whole incident really shook up the twins. They loved her like a sister. Things are getting better, though. They're healing." Cup placed a hoof on Scootaloo's collar sympathetically, her grim smile widening. "Oh, but let's not dwell on the past. Enjoy the party, dearie. It was great seeing you again."

"You too, Mrs. Cake," Scootaloo replied absently, referring to the baker as she had as a foal. She wandered back into the mix, the cogs of her mind spinning and neurons she wasn't aware she had flickering to life. Pinkie Pie had died in her sleep. No health problems, no warning. She could see the party pony in her mind, peering into the twins' bedroom and saying goodnight, before closing her own bedroom door. The door on a life. The door on a spirit.

_SLAM!_

Bone on bone was one of the worst sounds to ever he heard. If the wind was particularly strong during practice, the Wonderbolts had the tendency to crash into one another. In fact, Scootaloo had almost taken out Rumble last week during training. She was used to head-on collisions, but today… ow. Dazed, the pegasus lifted herself off the floor, rubbing the new bruise on her forehead. "Who in the… ?"

A snow white unicorn was sprawled across the ground, her sap green eyes struggling to focus. She shook her head violently, clearing her mind; as she did, several gray rose curls escaped the ponytail pulled together at the nape of her neck. "Sorry, I wasn't- -" The mare registered her best friend and leapt to her hooves as if a stick of dynamite was lit beneath her. "Scootaloo!"

"Sweetie Belle!" Scootaloo lifted her friend into the air with ease, pulling her to her chest affectionately. They had been writing ever since Scootaloo left for Cloudsdale, but hadn't found the opportunity to visit one another since. Scootaloo loved Sweetie like the sister she never had, on a deeper level than anypony else in her life, excluding Apple Bloom. The three were inseparable. "Celestia, you're here! You would not believe the day I'm having!"

"That bad, huh?" Sweetie waited patiently for Scootaloo to calm down and return them to the ground. "Would you mind if we discussed this outside? I can hardly hear myself think in here." Indeed, Rewind had gotten a tad carried away with his emceeing duties, and was seconds away from shattering his set of speakers. "I swear, Rewind must wear earplugs. He plays that stuff so loud… "

The pair managed to escape the celebration with their limbs intact, and branched off from the clots of ponies conversing outside the bakery. Sweetie Belle invited Scootaloo to join her on a park bench, where the unicorn, quite literally, collapsed unceremoniously. "Thank Celestia you're here. I've been feeling so lonely since Rarity died. Apple Bloom had to come back to the farm and harvest about a month ago, and I just haven't been able to see her."

The mention of Rarity reminded Scootaloo of her overall goal, but she decided to let Sweetie blow off some steam before mentioning her sister. Scootaloo knew Sweetie had been under a lot of stress lately, what with her tour through Equestria, failed relationship, and Rarity's **death**. With a slight nod confirming she was listening, Scootaloo leaned back to give the unicorn some space.

"You are a saint, Scoots. Seriously. Okay. Well, you know how when Lickety Split left me for that bi- -, I mean, Diamond Tiara, I took a week off from touring? Well, apparently, that broke some rule in my contract, and I lost a lot salary. Because of the charity donations after each concert, I was almost broke, with nowhere to go when I wasn't performing. And when Rarity, I had to cancel the rest of my tour. Treble, my boss, was not happy about that. His wife, Octavia, tried to convince him not to fire me, but he did anyway! I can perform anywhere, sure, but with Treble, I had shows everywhere! Las Pegasus, Manehatten, Canterlot."

Ever since acquiring her cutie mark, which, quite predictably, displayed her musical talent, Sweetie Belle had dedicated herself to her singing career. Scootaloo had attended her first show and left with tears in her eyes. Sweetie had such a gift… not unlike her taste for flight, it was something she couldn't live without. To think that she couldn't live her dream anymore was somewhat painful.

"Sweets, you don't deserve any of that. You have so much bucking talent! That Lickety Split- - forget him! I didn't trust him, remember? He didn't control you. No pony does. If you want to keep singing, do it! Ponies aren't gonna forget you because of some uptight stallion." Scootaloo took her friend's hoof, smiling sympathetically. Sappy motivational speeches weren't her favorite things to give, but if nopony else steps up to the plate, you have to do it yourself.

"I guess you're right- -"

"Hay yeah, I'm right! And about Rarity… boy, I don't understand how that Treble could fire ya because you were upset about Rarity. What a jerk. I wish I could've been there for you when that happened… what exactly happened?" Scootaloo prayed she wasn't treading on unstable ground, and was relieved when Sweetie only sighed, more despondent than angry.

"She just… left me. I was staying with her for a week. She always insisted. Said that if I didn't rest and eat a hot meal, I would work myself to-to **death. **Besides, she loved to use me as a model. It happened two months ago. She went to bed. Said she was a little tired. And just… never woke up. I guess it's better this way. Rarity never felt anything."

Bone on bone. Crash landing. Whatever you call it, shock hit Scootaloo like a hoof to her gut. Rarity had **died **in her sleep, just as Pinkie Pie had. Two months ago? Scootaloo wracked her brain for the letter that had reported Pinkie Pie's death, striving to remember what it had arrived. Five months? Yes, that sounded right.

This was not a coincidence. A coincidence is when you have the same birthday as the pony you meet on your morning carriage ride. Purchasing identical gifts for somepony's birthday. This was not a coincidence. No. It was a peculiar happening, of which Scootaloo simply had to investigate.

"Sweetie Belle? There's something I've got to tell you… "

::::::

"My Celestia, that's a lot of information to take in."

The duo were ambling down the beaten path leading to Sweet Apple Acres, discussing the issue Scootaloo had brought to attention minutes ago. After explaining the day's events, Sweetie had suggested they visit Apple Bloom, who had to take care of the last trees on the farm. Applejack's daughter, Orchard, was in charge of Sweet Apple Acres, but Apple Bloom had to help out often.

"If I'm remembering this correctly, Applejack passed on in her sleep as well. The same is probably true for Fluttershy; I was in Baltimare when it happened." Sweetie Belle studied the ground for a brief moment, silently contemplating their situation. Over the years, she had grown wiser and calmer, a more graceful portrait of the awkward, slow filly she had been so long ago. "What did Twilight ask, specifically?"

"It was more of Rainbow's wish, actually. She wanted me to be the Element of Loyalty. You know, Elements of Harmony? And Twilight asked me to visit her to talk about it. That's when I found her letter in the library. It's so weird, all of it. I don't know who to make the new Elements! And what if I screw up? Then what? The fate of Equestria is destroyed in my hooves? Yeah, like I really want that."

"Well, you've taken quite a step already. You're the Element of Loyalty. That's one down. Knowing Twilight, she had some ponies in mind." The unicorn felt a pang of anxiety for her fellow unicorn, who, according to Scootaloo, vanished without a trace. Twilight had tutored her in magic and was a close companion. Gone? Really gone? "Do you know anypony who really embodies those spirits?"

Scootaloo gazed up at the clear sky as she walked, not having to concentrate on the path ahead: she knew it by heart. For magic, all Scootaloo could think of was Twilight, the most talented unicorn in the past century. Kindness? Fluttershy. Only Fluttershy. Nopony brought a smile to her face like Pinkie Pie. Rarity was always willing to lend a helping hoof to anypony. Despite the circumstances, Applejack had been honest. Who could possibly replace them?

"They were all friends, weren't they? Maybe I'm supposed to be thinking of friends. If I'm supposed to be Loyalty… gee, besides you, Apple Bloom, and a couple Wonderbolts, I don't have many other friends," Scootaloo confessed, kicking a pebble in her path.

"If I could make a suggestion, I might nominate Apple Bloom for honesty. She told me when she hadn't made it to my show in time, instead of lying and saying she had been there. She really takes after her sister." The pair passed the weather-faded sign beholding the orchard's name, and quickened their pace slightly.

Sweet Apple Acres had changed dramatically over the years. There were almost double the amount of trees, apples having to be exported outside of Equestria once the economy began to demand it. The barn had gone through so many renovations, it looked more like a wooden quilt than a solid structure. The house, however, remained cozy, and in surprisingly decent condition. Apple Bloom was handy with tools, as well as paintbrushes, and kept her home on its feet.

"I talked to her yesterday. She said she's trying to get the last barrels of apples shipped to Manehatten. There's this restaurant down there that orders twenty barrels of her apples every harvest. She's probably in the orchards," Sweetie Belle said, gesturing to the enormous maze of trees.

Scootaloo tried to smile, but a bizarre feeling of dread had washed over her. Pegasus ponies above their heads began to piece together the first thunderheads that would evolve into a major storm. As the sun's vivid rays disappeared behind a wall of bleakness, Scootaloo shivered. Something was wrong. Very wrong.

Somepony shrieked shrilly, and Scootaloo wasn't sure whether it was Sweetie Belle or herself. Either way, mortal terror surged through her as she stepped forward and saw her friend sprawled on the ground. Her scarlet mane flowed in a glossy puddle around her and a spilt bucket of apples wasn't far away. The most frightening aspect of the scene, however, was the fact Apple Bloom's chest was not moving.


	3. Chapter 3: The Idea

Part Three:

The Idea

"Apple Bloom!"

Scootaloo had seen her fair share of injuries. Her friend, Firefly, had once crashed right into a clock tower, and her wing was a sight for only the most iron of stomachs. This, though… it was morbid in a strange way, almost like a demonic nightmare that jolts you awake in the dead of night and keeps you sweating for hours. Her best friend… sweet, creative, prideful Apple Bloom. Still and silent.

"Scoots! Go to the house and get Orchard! I'll see if I can revive her!" Sweetie Belle was suddenly there, nudging her towards the house and cantering over to the fallen mare. Scootaloo was slammed back into reality, where her wings snapped out and her neurons fired back and forth so rapidly, she almost forget where she was and how she got there.

Years of flight had educated her in the fine art of speed. Not just physical: no, in an emergency situation, quick thinking was imperative. Over time, Scootaloo had inadvertently wired herself to react to everything, everything. Her wings acted as if independent from her body, lulling her forward and then carrying her at an unfathomable rate towards the Apple's home.

_Ow._

Scootaloo rubbed her snout, pushing at the door she had just crashed headlong into. She soared into the living room, where a soft crimson mare sat, peeling an apple. "Hey you um Apple Bloom in the acres she's not breathing and help would be nice and so yeah I'm going to pass out." True to her words, the orange mare sank to the floor, gasping for air like a beached whale.

Orchard leapt to her hooves, cantering out of the house wordlessly and towards the spot her aunt had been bucking. Sweetie Belle knelt alongside Apple Bloom, examining the mare with tears in her sap green eyes. "What in the name of Equestria? What happened ta her?"

"We walked over here and she was on the ground. I don't know if she's breathing," Sweetie Belle reported, struggling to maintain a cool head in the situation. She had always been concerned about how hard Apple Bloom worked during the days, fearing she would exhaust herself in the process. Harvesting was a taxing job, especially for a single pony.

"It's okay, don't worry," Orchard assured, stepping over Apple Bloom and planting two hooves on the mare's strong chest. She compressed twice, then leaned over and exhaled forcefully into her mouth, forcing oxygen into her stagnant lungs. "Come on, breathe!"

Somewhere, in the depths of unconsciousness, a gust of wind whipped through her oblivion and with it was a gentle glow. She understood, quite vaguely, that she was alive, but there had to be something wrong, something was very wrong. Apple Bloom reached up to touch her cheek, only to discover there was nothing: no hoof, no cheek. Her mind processed and dispatched the order again, but nothing happened.

For the first occasion since her fillyhood, Apple Bloom was terrified of the dark. She hadn't feared what lurked in the shadows since she was young, and even then, after Applejack had comforted her, she had learned there was nothing to be scared of. Now… the darkness seemed to be her. She was alone, trapped in a tunnel that negated all senses and went on forever. The glow was gone.

Wait! The light reappeared, radiating outwards and reaching out to envelop her in reassuring warmth, much like the arms of her sister. She squinted against it, or, at least, urged her missing eyes to look away from the searing luminescence. Wind curled around her, lifting Apple Bloom out of the bottomless abyss and towards the light. No! No, was this **death? **No, not yet!

"She's waking up!" Orchard supported Apple Bloom's head, lifting her off the ground. "Um, would ya mind using yer magic ta get her back to the house?" Sweetie Belle nodded, creating a lavender aurora around the mare and gently levitating her through the acres, back to the house.

Scootaloo pushed herself off the pitted floorboards, blinking past the ebbing fog that was the ending result of her pitiful gray out. Had the distance been that far? Or was it simply shock? Either way, her wings groaned obediently as they lifted her exhausted body off the ground. Ah, that was a little- -

SLAM! Somepony burst through the front door, which collided with Scootaloo, pinning her against the adjoining wall. Sweetie Belle galloped into the living room, gingerly setting her friend on the sofa and maintaining a constant vigil, in case she struggled to breathe again. She turned around to locate Scootaloo, and discerned the orange feathers littering the floor. "Oh… sorry, Scoots."

"Pain… so much pain," the pegasus rasped, dragging herself shamelessly towards the three ponies. Scootaloo glanced over her shoulder at her wing, which was sans a few feathers and twisted at an awkward angle. It ached dully, but she managed to flutter it enough to power her over to Sweetie Belle's side. "How's she doing?"

"She wasn't breathing, but Orchard performed CPR and saved her," the unicorn replied, smiling gratefully at the young mare. She had her mother's emerald eyes, glinting with honesty, and her father's dark mane, tied off at her neck. "Thank you… wow, without you, who knows what would have happened to Apple Bloom?"

"Aw, it was nothin', darling," Orchard replied, dismissing Sweetie with the wave of a hoof. "Ah shouldn't have let Apple Bloom work the fields today. It was too hot an' she was already tired. Glad y'all found her. She's mah favorite relative."

Before Scootaloo could object to this fact, she remembered that Orchard was, in fact, Applejack's daughter. The candy apple mare was young, almost to the point where she could be considered a filly. The idea amused Scootaloo, but also confirmed that she had suffered cranial damage in the door-opening incident. _Dang it…_

Apple Bloom forced her brilliant eyes open, instantly shying away from the daylight flooding the living room. It cut across her mind like a blistering blade on her psyche. Still, she forced her mouth to articulate the vast amount of questions she was generating. "Wh-what… happened?"

"You were in the orchard, Apple Bloom. And you weren't breathing," Sweetie explained, taking her hoof tenderly. "Orchard helped you start again. Do you remember what happened before you lost consciousness?"

At the moment, the carpenter was far more preoccupied with the fact she had escaped imminent **death. **She lodged her front teeth into her lower lip, struggling to recall where she had been before the void. Bucking apples, as she had for the past month, the usual. Worrying about her job in Manehatten, the usual. Feeling something ruthlessly hard slam against the base of her skull… the unusual. "Ah… Ah was out bucking, and something hit me in the head. Ah don't know if it was an apple, or what, but it sure was hard and Ah guess it really knocked something loose."

Orchard got to her hooves and paced back and forth, eyebrows knitted in intense concentration. "How in Equestria did a pony get on mah farm? And goin' as far as ta hurtin' mah own kin? Boy, Ah gonna make 'em rue the day they set hoof on this land!" She turned to the reunited trio, conjuring a wobbly smile that contrasted with her strained eyes. "Well, Ah guess Ah'll have a look around. Why don't y'all get caught up?"

Without waiting for an answer, the filly left the room and trotted deep within the acres. She glanced behind her shoulder, ensuring nopony had followed her, and reached into her ponytail, withdrawing a small glass vial. Orchard chuckled, although it escaped her throat as a thick, cackling sound. The twisted laugh of a mad stallion. She lifted the cylinder to her mouth and tossed her head back, swallowing it in a single gulp. Upon clearing her throat, her voice returned to its caramel-sweet tone.

There. Much better.

::::::

"Th-that's what happened?"

Scootaloo nodded solemnly, having just recounted the day's events, once again, to Apple Bloom, who was propped against the sofa's arm with three pillows. Her scarlet mane had been combed by Sweetie Belle, tied into a tidy braid that rested against withers. Despite the nasty bruise at the nape of her neck, she looked neater than usual; appearances weren't of any importance to her. "Well, gosh, if Ah had known y'all went through that today- -"

"It's okay, you didn't," Scootaloo interrupted, finding that she tired of ponies feeling sorry for her. So today had been quite odd, not to mention emotionally exhausting, but it shouldn't have generated this sympathy. Yeah, the Elements of Harmony **died **young. Until Scootaloo figured it out, she had no interest in other ponies' interference. "What's important now is that we figure it out."

"Ah don't quite understand what we're supposed to be figuring out," Apple Bloom confessed, tapping her hoof against the sofa cushion. Without a task, such as construction or painting, her hooves were in constant motion.

"Well, Twilight said that we need to find the new Elements. Ponies that embody what they're all about. And it's not just a little project. She said Equestria is in danger. I-I don't know what the buck she's talking about! If this was really bad, wouldn't the princesses come and talk to us?" the mare speculated, thinking of Celestia, Luna, and Cadance, who kept Equestria in perfect harmony. They were the ponies who should have been overseeing this expedition.

"Scoots, maybe this is something between Twilight and Celestia," Sweetie suggested, her voice soft. "If Celestia and Luna left the castle to look for new Elements, it might worry the citizens. That's the last thing they need now. Did you hear about the conflicts breaking out in Baltimare? That's not too far away."

The carpenter shook her head, visage a mask of concentration. "Ah don't believe it. They wouldn't let Twilight handle that on her own. She was getting really old and weak. Ah had to bring her some of mah apples when she couldn't make it to the market." Apple Bloom tossed the blankets off of her body, leaping to the floor. As if she hadn't faced **death **earlier that day, she cantered to a nearby table and scrawled out a note.

_No. Please tell me she's not thinking that. We can't go now. _Sweetie Belle shot her friend a concerned glance, both silently pleading that Apple Bloom wasn't planning… that. "Girls, Ah just wrote Orchard a note saying that we'll be out of town for a little while. We're not gonna take this laying down. We're going ta Canterlot!"

"No, no, no, no, no, no!" Scootaloo seized her by the forelegs, lifting Apple Bloom a few inches off the ground as she unconsciously allowed her wings to flutter gently. "Apple Bloom, did that accident knock your common sense loose? We can't just take a train to Canterlot! We have stuff to do here, we can't bother the princesses now. Besides, we may not be right about that. And what if somepony is after us? The Elements dying right after one another- - that isn't normal."

"Ah know it's not. That's why we gotta go to Canterlot and get this thing sorted out. Scoots, it's only a three hour journey up to Canterlot. It ain't gonna hurt us. If we're right about Celestia and Twilight, then she can help us find the Elements. C'mon, it can't hurt ta try? Sweetie? Do ya believe me?"

The white unicorn lifted her eyes to Apple Bloom, and she could see the glimmer of anxiety that passed through them. "I-I want to come with you, Apple Bloom. I will do anything to make sure that what happened to the Elements never happens again. I'll pay for the tickets." The mares both turned to Scootaloo, who's jaw hung open wide enough to drive a carriage through. "Scoots, we're not going to force you to come. But this is what Twilight wanted. She wrote to you: not us, _you."_

"I know she wrote to me and I want to help her. I guess… it couldn't hurt. And she might want to know that her prized student is missing. But, this is all I'm doing, girls. I have to get back to trying to find the Elements. This is for Rainbow Dash. Not me." Without waiting for a response, the pegasus ducked her head and ambled towards the front door.

"Can ya believe her? She wanted ta let us go all on our own!" Apple Bloom said bitterly, barely waiting for Scootaloo to wander out of earshot.

Sweetie Belle shook her head, a million images flashing through her mind: Rarity in her doorway, Diamond Tiara on Lickety Split's arm, the lights of a concert. "No… she's upset, AB. Haven't you noticed? She went through a lot today and that, on top of Rainbow Dash, it's tearing her up. She just doesn't want to drag it out."

"Well, Ah can understand that, but if she wants ta be the next Element of Loyalty, she's gonna have ta learn about trusting her friends." Apple Bloom ascended the staircase to reach her bedroom, and turned her head at the landing. "We're all gonna have ta learn."

::::::

A half hour later, the Cutie Mark Crusaders stood in the town square, saddlebags packed for the journey ahead. The festivities at Sugar Cube Corner had died down considerably; apparently, somepony had sent Rewind home. Scootaloo thought of the twins, wishing she could be at that tender age, where her greatest worry had been whether or not she was cool enough.

"Before we go, I have to visit somepony," Sweetie said, conjuring up a sheepish grin. "If you guys want to stay here and wait for me, that's okay, I'll only be gone a second."

"Nah, Ah have a feeling Ah know who yer talkin 'bout." Apple Bloom followed the singer as she trotted towards a cottage sitting adjacent to the Sofa and Quill shop. Scootaloo couldn't help but moan: couldn't they get this show on the road? She should just bail out right now…

_Rainbow wants you to be her._

_Buck my love for Rainbow, _Scootaloo cursed silently, trudging after them. _If she wasn't counting on me, I would bail out. But, well, being awesome is a job that only a few ponies can accomplish. _

Sweetie knocked on the door, and smiled brilliantly at the periwinkle unicorn who answered. "Hi, Dinky. I just stopped by to say that we're going on a little trip today. Will you be able to find somepony else to watch Button?"

"Oh, of course. Pipsqueak's home, so we're fine." Dinky Hooves opened the door an inch wider, grinning shyly at Apple Bloom and Scootaloo. "Hi girls, it's been a while since I've seen you. I'm glad to see that you're back in town." She turned back to her fellow unicorn, pausing a moment to brush her blonde mane away from her eyes. "Where are you heading?"

"To Canterlot. We have to, um, discuss something with the princesses," Sweetie Belle explained vaguely, avoiding eye contact with her as she brushed past the truth. Scootaloo sighed impatiently, stretching her wings as if preparing to take off.

"Oh, you're going to Canterlot? Wow, it must be important. If you don't have an appointment though, talking to the princesses may take some time. I-I could, um, come with you. Pipsqueak and I do business there often, so I could probably, uh, get you to see Celestia. If you want me to come. I don't have to." Dinky shuffled her front hooves uneasily, her eyes fixed on the ground below.

Sweetie glanced over at Scootaloo, wordlessly asking if this was all right with her. The orange mare paused, staring past Dinky into the foyer, where her fillyhood friend, Pipsqueak, sat on a chair with a foal in his lap. Was Dinky willing to temporarily abandon her life to help them? And, yeah, she did want to get this over with. Having Dinky on their team would definitely help. "Fine. Dinky, want to come with us?"

"Oh, if it will help you out, I'll come," she said sweetly, the turn of her golden eyes enough to make Scootaloo's heart melt. "I-I'll just be a second. Let me pack. Here, come inside." A butter-yellow aura surrounded the doorknob, opening it to allow the trio inside. "Pipsqueak? I'm going out of town for the day. Will you be all right with Buttons?"

"Of course, sweetheart. You deserve a day off," the stallion replied, his Trottingham accent so thick, no earthly weapon could cut it. Scootaloo had to admit, he had definitely grown since she last saw him at their graduation from elementary school. He was muscular and quite handsome, but his dark eyes beheld a gentleness unlike any other. "Hello, Sweetie Belle. Oh, hi Apple Bloom. Scootaloo! Long time no see!"

"Yeah, same here. Congratulations on marrying Dinky and having a foal and everything," she said, leaning down to meet the eyes of the horned filly in his father's forelegs. It surpassed all set levels of adorableness: one to reject all things overly girly or sappy, Scootaloo couldn't stop herself from going "aww!" "She's adorable! And she looks just like you!"

"She's adorable until she drops Dinky's wedding ring down the sink," Pipsqueak sighed, tickling Button under the chin. "You're a little troublemaker, aren't you? Yes, you are! Yes, you are!"

Button squealed, waving her stubby forelegs in the air as if attempting to defend herself from the giant hooves above her. The three mares elicited a simultaneous cry of "aww!", holding onto one another and practically floating. Button, suddenly aware she was being watched, smiled up at them and squirmed from her cocoon of blankets. "Da-da!" she demanded, bucking at the stallion with a powerful set of rear limbs.

"You want down?" Dinky cooed, dropping her saddlebags and lowering Button to the floorboards. "Will you be good for D-Daddy?"

"Mama!" the infant cried, tugging at the mare's bangs and giggling madly. "Mama, mama!" Dinky kissed her daughter on the snout, ruffling her cocoa mane before situating her satchels on her flanks. She smiled nervously at the Cutie Mark Crusaders, then turned to Pipsqueak and kissed him as well, although this motion was much more passionate.

"Goodbye honey, I love you. I'll be back soon."

_I'll be back soon. _Walking back into the dazzling sunlight, a bizarre feeling of dread washed over Scootaloo. For some odd reason, she felt like she would never see Pipsqueak and Button again. She pushed the thoughts from her mind, but as she followed them through the congested marketplace, Scootaloo checked over her shoulder every few minutes, as if expecting somepony to plunge a knife through her back.

_I'll be back soon._

**a/n: **Oh, hey look, the author exists. I'm sorry for the mundane and awkward dialogue and descriptions in this chapter, I am very, very sick. This story is getting a little harder to write, but expect a new installment every… say, a day or two less than two weeks? Okay. Thanks!


	4. Chapter 4: The Station

Part Four:

The Station

Two figures cantered down a well-worn path, clots of earth rising with each step and their frantic breaths the only audible sound. The male was much swifter than his companion, a latticework of muscles contracting beneath his beige coat. His travel mate, a female unicorn, was smaller and had difficulty matching his pace, her tiny chest heaving. Tears filled her oceanic eyes, but she didn't have the breath to ask him to slow down.

They had covered an impressive amount of ground in the half hour since they disembarked from their home. According to her calculations, they should have reached the train station ten minutes ago, but it was still out of reach. How? She did not know. If they took a wrong turn, well, maybe they'd run themselves to Canterlot.

The filly stumbled over a loose stone, a flurry of legs as she tumbled forward and landed on her right forelegs. Those unshed tears began to fall, escaping their lidded confines. "Please… please," she begged shamefully, the pain like a shot of lightning in a bottle. He turned around, the adrenaline draining from his veins as he stopped moving for a rare moment. "Please…"

"It's okay, it's okay," he assured, kneeling down to help her back to her hooves. A nasty bruise had already bloomed, and, though he had never even peeled the paper off of a bandage, he believed it would only get worse. "Here, get on my back. We'll go faster."

She almost argued, but he was impatient and there was no real point. With a soft grunt, the little unicorn boarded her companion's back, holding onto his neck with her good foreleg. He unfolded his wings and lurched forward, spurring clouds of dust that only added to the dramatic effect. Nothing was complete without a little bit of drama.

"Are you sure we're making the right choice?" she said over the wind screaming past them, and he didn't even hesitate, no, he knew what to say now.

"We're going to be safe, Pumpkin. We're going to be safe."

:::::::

"Mah!"

The orange pegasus lifted her cheek from the arm of the bench, the last vestiges of sleep banished from her mind with a quick headshake. Before she could begin to panic, Scootaloo realized she had fallen asleep in the train station. Their voyage to Canterlot had been delayed by an hour, and Scootaloo, in desperate need of a nap, had told her friends she would rest her eyes for a second.

_Okay, so maybe it was longer than a second. _With a yawn, she rubbed her eyes and briefly wondered why the left side of her face was so warm. Oh, yeah. Cheap wood. The enormous clock, a famous trademark of Ponyville's Central Station, told her she had been out for thirty-five minutes. Oh, well. Who cares? She felt much better, now that her mind was clear and able to function without a few minutes of focus.

The mare looked around the station, vision doubling, then trebling. The crowd had definitely thinned out, leaving only a few other ponies milling about. Sweetie Belle was sharing the bench with her, reading a novel she had purchased at the gift shop. Another Saddle King thriller. Ever since she found "The Galloping Mare" in Twilight's library, she had been hooked on them. Scootaloo preferred "Daring Do", but, you know, everyone had their reading predilection.

So here they were. On their way to an unplanned intervention with the princesses, about a letter- no, two letters. What had she been thinking about this morning, before she finally gave in and opened the envelope? Breakfast, mostly. Taking a nice shower, maybe flying out to see her friend Watercolors. Nine o'clock felt like the beginning of time.

"Oh, uh, hi Scootaloo, I was just wondering, um, what exactly you want to see the princesses for. If that's okay." That voice was chillingly familiar. She glanced up, almost poking her left eye out with Dinky's horn as the unicorn quickly turned her gaze to the floor. "Oh, sorry."

"No, it's fine, I'm not blind yet." While keeping one hoof pressed over the offended eye, Scootaloo continued to turn the words over in her mind. Who did Dinky sound like? Oh, well. "Uh, well, I got a letter from Twilight Sparkle and she went missing afterwards. So, we, you know, guessed we should tell the princesses. She is Celestia's student and Cadance's sister-in-law."

"Twilight went missing?" Dinky Hooves asked incredulously, her golden eyes widening in shock. The elder mare had helped her through several difficult times in her life, including the death of her mother. Oh… what a horrible day that had been. Receiving an urgent letter from Twilight, standing up and walking right out of the meeting on her second day of work… "Gosh, no wonder you were in such a hurry. I'll help you in any way I can."

Everything clicked together like a jigsaw puzzle. _Fluttershy. _The pegasus had foal-sat her several times back in Ponyville, and Scootaloo could never forget her pattern of speech. The stammering, the addition of "if that's okay". Maybe Dinky was a hair more courageous than Fluttershy, but Celestia, the voice was uncanny. "Thanks, I'm just glad you tagged along. It's not gonna be easy, I'll say that much."

"That definitely sounds like a hard thing to tell Celestia," Dinky admitted. Scootaloo shrugged, although she was mentally preparing a convincing speech. Celestia was known as the most cool-headed princess amongst the trio, but, well, Scootaloo had seen the most serene of ponies fall to pieces at bad news. Her friend Watercolors, calmer than an undisturbed lake, had suffered what could be generously labeled as a breakdown when she learned her art gallery in Ponyville had gone up in flames.

"Yeah, I'm not sure how she'll take it. She is, like, a thousand years old: hopefully, she's seen enough to learn not to panic." Throughout her life, there had been many occasions where any ordinary pony would crumple to the floor and curl up into a fetal position. Discord's return (not her fault, seriously, not her fault!). Queen Chrysalis invasion of Canterlot. All without batting an eyelash.

"Oh, she's such a nice pony. We really are lucky to have a princess like her. And Luna, of course. I don't see her a lot, but when I do, she seems so smart and kind. A little shy, but nice," the lilac mare said, lathering the sisters with compliments as if she got paid by the praise.

"I met her at my last Nightmare Night in Ponyville. She was kind of… strange. She kept referring to herself as 'we' for awhile, until Twilight talked to her. Guess when your on the moon for a thousand years, you don't really know how to act."

"It's a little strange, actually. You'd think that living there for a thousand years would be torture, but Luna studies the moon from her tower every night. She's fascinated by it," Dinky said. The alicorn, when not performing her royal duties under the inky cloak of night, would stand on her balcony with an antiqued telescope. Dinky had watched her for the better part of half an hour once, enticed by her graceful motions and dedicated study.

"Well, I think she wants to go back there, just once. She was up there a while. And unless Celestia-"

"SCOOTALOO!"

Now, how was _that _familiar? The pegasus turned away from Dinky, her jaw fully floor-bound when she perceived two little figures moving through the crowds. Pound Cake and Pumpkin Cake? Dear Celestia, she was going insane. "Guys? What in the name of Equestria are you doing here?"

The filly began to weep, jumping into Scootaloo's forelegs and burying her face in her violet mane. Horribly confused and a new bruise forming on her chest from the sheer velocity of Pumpkin hitting her, Scootaloo peered over Pumpkin's head to view Pound. "What are you guys doing here? Why aren't you at home?"

"Cotton Candy," the colt stated gravely, spurring quite a reaction from the other three mares. "It was Cotton Candy."

"Cotton candy, like the delicious treat?" Scootaloo guessed, shifting Pumpkin to her other foreleg and using a hoof to stroke her back. Apple Bloom shook her head, trotting over to Pound Cake's side and kneeling down to meet his eyes.

"What did he do?" she inquired firmly, the grimness of her tone forcing Scootaloo to hand the still crying unicorn to Dinky and join Apple Bloom. They were speaking of this "cotton candy" as a pony, but she didn't know anypony with that name. "Pound Cake, look at me: what did he do?"

Pound met her eyes with his own set, glimmering with a film of tears that he kept, tightly sealed, within himself. It was time to be brave. "I-I don't know what went wrong. One minute, he's just helping me and Pumpkin clean up the dishes from the party and then… he started hitting me. He said that we were terrible foals, who never should have been born, and that he wanted us out of Ponyville forever."

Sweetie Belle, who had been her placid self during the beginning of this ordeal, suddenly leapt to her hooves, visage mauled by an expression of sheer hatred. "What kind of stallion would do that? How can he live with himself, hitting foals and telling them to leave? I never thought of him being the horrible type, but, oh, was I wrong."

"Will somepony _please _tell me what's going on?" Scootaloo begged, wilting to the tiled floor and pressing her front hooves together. Whoever this Cotton Candy creep was, she would _love _to know why he decided striking innocent foals was a good time. Since Sweetie was busy panting wildly, Apple Bloom glanced up, her face suddenly strained and pale.

"Cotton Candy is a baker the Cakes trained ta be a pastry chef at the bakery. He has always been kinda rude around town; he acted innocent at the bakery, but otherwise, it was a different story. Ah even saw 'em tripping a pony in the marketplace." The carpenter shook her head mournfully, holding the young pegasus closer. "Well, Ah hope he gets found out an' locked away for a long time."

"Me-me too," Pumpkin Cake choked out, her muzzle slick with tears and mucus.

_I just can't catch a break today, can I? _With a sigh, Scootaloo surveyed her ragtag band of travelers. She snuck another glimpse at the massive clock; five minutes until their train was scheduled to arrive. "Okay… okay. Hey, our train is coming really soon, so do you guys wanna take a quick trip to Canterlot?"

Both Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle's expression conveyed the ubiquitous sense of "are you serious?", but the twins instantly brightened. Celestia, they were adorable. "Can we really come with you?" Pound asked incredulously, the corners of his mouth rising in cautious surprise.

"Scoots, have ya lost yer buckin'- -"

"Of course. We're going to Canterlot for a few hours and we can take you guys back home. How does a little vacation sound?" Scootaloo offered her hoof to Pumpkin, who had stopped crying and was hiccupping with every few breaths. The filly gripped her foreleg, throwing her own around the mare's neck.

"Thank you, thank you!" Pumpkin exclaimed, burying her head into Scootaloo's neck. She was taken aback by the action, but, at the same time, had the desire to continue embracing her, replace the love so cruelly stolen from her. "We promise not to make any noise or do anything bad! I swear!"

Pound Cake nodded in agreement, his small wings buzzing to the point where they resembled twin beige blurs.

"Scootaloo, you are aware that we're going to the castle. Don't you think it will be a little… strange to have foals with us?" Dinky inquired gently, her voice so low, even Pumpkin couldn't hear her.

"Oh, come on Dinky, who could it hurt? They're just tagging along. They'll stay in the… waiting… room or, uh, wherever. It's okay. They need to be with us for a while, calm them down some." Scootaloo placed Pumpkin back on the floor, scratching her between the ears affectionately. "That's okay with you, right?"

"It's fine, really. I don't mind," the unicorn said earnestly. Relieved, Scootaloo turned to Apple Bloom, whose mouth was open wide enough to provide a clear view of her tonsils. In the hour or so since they had reconciled, Scootaloo realized that her friend had not lost an ounce of Apple family obstinacy. She would dig her hooves into the ground and keep the earth in place.

"Scoots, have ya lost yer mind?" Apple Bloom repeated, remembering this time to excise her "choice word". "They need ta go back home before their parents send the police after us! Yer on my side, right Sweetie Belle?"

"No."

"That's exactly- - what?"

"Apple Bloom, we're responsible for them now. They need somepony to rely on. What harm can it do?" Sweetie Belle lifted Pumpkin off the ground, practically shoving her into Apple Bloom's face. "Come on, how can you say no to a face like that?" Recognizing her position in this situation, Pumpkin enlarged her oceanic eyes, stuck out her lower lip, and allowed her ears to drop to her skull.

"Okay, Ah agree that Ah can't say no to that face. They can come with us, Ah guess." Her words were met with a series of cheers and jumps. Oh, well. Apple Bloom shook her head and grinned, watching the twins flock around their respective species. "But we gotta get a move on if we wanna get 'em tickets in time."

"I've got the tickets covered," Sweetie said, her tone like a warning to all those wanting to chip in. Scootaloo knew better than to offer: in the years she had known Sweetie, she had almost never seen the unicorn spend a bit on herself. As Sweetie trotted towards the ticket booth, Scootaloo felt a tug on her mane, a gesture that the twins had formulated to attract her attention.

"Scootaloo, can I tell you something?" Pound asked sheepishly, motioning for the older pegasus to stoop down. She did so, and found her ear alongside his mouth. "I had been planning to run away for a long time. Cotton Candy has always been mean to me, but Mom and Dad needed somepony to help out at the bakery, and he told me that if I said anything to them, he would… kill me. I was gonna run away tomorrow, after Mom's birthday."

She felt her heart plummet through her ribs and down into the fiery core of the earth. "Oh my Celestia, Pound…" How could a pony be so heartless? Who would threaten to kill an innocent foal? Oh, when she got back home, she was gonna kick some flank. "I am so sorry that happened to you. But, I think you're the bravest colt in all of Equestria. Staying brave for your family… keeping that inside. I've never known a pony, not even a Wonderbolt, who could have done that."

Pride surged through his chest, bringing with it a wave of tears that were becoming increasingly difficult to suppress. He had never told a soul about what went on in the bakery after hours, and, Celestia, did it feel good. Pound wrapped his forelegs around Scootaloo's neck, pressing his cheek to her own for a brief instant. "Thank you, Scootaloo."

Why was her throat closing? And why were her eyes burning? Must have been some dust in this stupid train station. "You're welcome, Pound Cake."

::::::

As Ponyville vanished over the horizon, Dinky Hooves wished that, more than anything, she was back home.

Oh, she trusted the train and had faith in her travel companions, but, well, she wished she was on her sofa, head resting on Pipsqueak's shoulder. Dinky had journeyed to almost every city in Equestria, and was confident about the reliability of their vehicle. Still… the unicorn shuddered, turning away from the window.

The six, along with a family of three and an older stallion, were the only occupants of the car. The day shift had not ended, just as the night had not begun, leaving a few odd guests to be make the trip. As ordinary as ordinary could be. Yet, everypony was on edge.

For Pumpkin Cake though, her anxiety had evolved from a minor nag in the back of her mind to a searing pain in her horn. She squirmed slightly, turning away from the others to rub the small outgrowth on her forehead. As a pursuer of magic, Pumpkin was accustomed to small headaches after performing certain spells. This… this, oh, it was agony.

Moisture boiled in the corners of her eyes; the unicorn couldn't spare the energy to hold them back. She inhaled shakily, frightened by the advancing and ebbing darkness, washing into her psyche like a black tide. Colors were far too bright, every noise deafening. Pumpkin opened her mouth to speak, only to find that her tongue was a stone and her vocal cords were knotted.

"Pumpkin? Ya feelin' okay?"

Before she could muster the strength to answer, her eyes suddenly gave her an excellent view of the back of her head and her legs turned to gelatin.

As the five ponies attended to the youngest member of their party, two ponies stood in place of the conductor. One shoveled coal, while the other calmly observed the land that passed the Friendship Express. Frustrated with their job, the one stuck with shoveling fuel turned to their partner. "Why am I the one shoveling coal?"

"Don't worry, you won't be doing it much longer," the pony responded serenely, taking the tool from the cyan stallion. He growled and stalked towards the roaring engine, which was keeping the train running. The stallion reared his hoof back, denting the mechanism with his sheer vigor. Almost immediately, the train slowed considerably; a twisted smile graced the freckled pony's face.

"I liked you better when you were pretending to be a mare," the cyan stallion spat, punching another component of the engine and watching it fly. "You were prettier to look at. And you didn't want me to become the most hated pony in Ponyville."

"Nonsense Cotton, plenty of my children were despised, even more so than you. Those apple brothers, that fake unicorn. But, now… we'll be loved." He smirked, stepping closer towards the parapet on the very front of the first car. "You did an excellent job getting those brats on the train. Makes our job so much easier." The pony abruptly swiveled away from the track ahead, seizing his partner's foreleg. "It's time to jump. Give it one last punch."

Grinning, he bucked the decimated engine one last time, watching the live wires spark and coal remains flare up, creating a ring of flames. A bend was approaching in the track, one the train wouldn't be able to complete. Thus, the perfect crash. "Come on, let's go!"

The pair leapt from the train, flailing wildly through the air for a moment before they were surrounded by a chestnut aurora and vanished from sight, teleported to safety. With a wheeze, the train pressed onwards.

**a/n: **Damn "Gravity Falls" for making me lazy and not writing this chapter. Damn summer for making me lazy and making this chapter horrible. Promise to make the next chapter more awesome, or, you know, whatever. Enjoy.


	5. Chapter 5: The Accident

Part Five:

The Accident

_Hey, guess what? You're __**dead**__. Isn't that great? _

Nothing. Wasn't **death** supposed to be a dazzling orchestra of eardrum-shattering noises and blinding chromatic flashes? Or… or was she eternally bound to a suffocating hell where she was shackled in oblivion, ever floating? Which would be worse? Now, she was without a body, nothing more than a mind that had become one with the darkness. Her mind dispatched the order to her eyes to blink, but there were no eyes to follow the command. If she had vocal cords, she would have shrieked. Instead, she curled her thoughts into a single point, a point she could keep safe and hold onto, in spite of the crashing void.

She wasn't very brave, was she? There were others, several others, to be rescued, and yet, the idea of abandoning the warm isolation of her own mind was frightening. If she was alive, she should at least attempt to jolt herself back into existence. This dark corner of… the universe, maybe, it had to be escapable.

_I don't want to leave, _she thought in a brief moment of selfishness, _why go back into the real world? There are so many things… so many things that have to be done. I don't want it. Don't want to do this anymore. I wanna stay up here in my own mind and never come out. Safe…_

_"Oh, please don't do this to me."_

Voice. Words. Pleas. They sliced into her psyche, a broken glass assault that wanted to dissect her and pull out her into the open. The endless span of space. Or worse, the realm above it: reality. Whoever was out there, they could just join her, sink down into the chilly nothingness beside her so she wouldn't be so alone.

_"You've gotta get up, okay? I'm really, really scared."_

_I'm scared too, _she silently screamed, the first embers flickering into being as the words were contrived by her drifting brain. They were comforting, but only for a second; they quickly became a supernova. Stars combusted, ensnaring her thoughts in a retina-searing net of lights, bright lights, Celestia, make them stop. Kill me if you have to, just please, please

_(can i tell you something okay because hurting i have been hurt please fly high where are you now)_

take it away.

She recalled a song from her fillyhood, a breathless melody her mother would rasp out as they sat by candlelight, pretending they didn't hear the sirens outside. _Moonlight, starlight, you'll fall asleep safe tonight, just hold on tight, you'll be alright._

As her nerves braided and writhed, the notes lulled her into a deeper sleep. _You'll be alright, you'll be alright, you'll be alright…_

::::::

It would be a long time before she joined her family.

Her name was Apple Bloom. And she was not **dead**. Yet. Write it in the corner: yet. Second time being unconscious today, must be a new record. This was frightening though, accelerating her heartbeat and causing cold clutches of panic to spread through her like cracks across a frozen pond. She had it preserved in her memory, of course, she would never forget that sensation of sound, sight, and scream.

The odds were so slim, they scarcely existed. Apple Bloom hadn't attended school as long as Sweetie or Dinky, but she had a basic comprehension of statistics. The Friendship Express had been functioning for over forty-eight years, and it had a pristine record. Not once had a pony been injured on or around the tracks. So why? Why them? Why a ragtag band of ponies who were already wither deep in their own problems?

_Remember them. I gotta remember them. _She had caught a few things slipping out of her mind, such as what she had for breakfast, and the number of freckles on her sister's cheeks. Scootaloo, of course, and Sweetie… um, Sweetie Belle, Dinky, and the twins… Pound and Pumpkin. Their images and information twined, dipping and floating above the smog, the pollution of her cloudy mind.

But her name was Apple Bloom. And she was not **dead.**

::::::

It was a horrible accident to witness.

The smoldering remains of the train, mangled like some massive cobra, rested against the side of the hill. Smoke billowed into the sky, the aftermath of a fiery explosion that would have burned the flesh off of anypony within a hundred yard radius. Two blue jays, frightened away by the initial collision, returned hesitantly to their perch, exchanging an expressionless glance before serenading the sun again. It was almost ironic.

Ink Blot had been two days away from his eighty-eighth birthday, and was taking the journey to Canterlot to visit his granddaughter, Prose. In the brief, but meaningful, moments before he **died**, he thought of the novel Prose had been writing. It was a good novel. A lot of thought went into it. Then again, writing skills were found in almost every member of their family. It was a good novel. He remembered the dedication to him, saying it aloud as his internal organs were cooked like a turkey in the oven. _For my grandfather, who ignited my inspiration._

_Oh, the irony._

Astrid and Orion were a nice couple. They both manufactured telescopes, their products often used by royalty. It was a rewarding business, and they spent nights on a picnic blanket beneath the waves of stars, composing about the heavens above (poetry for Astrid, textbooks for Orion). They had a beautiful filly named Stella, who had golden hair and her parents' infatuation with outer space. It was her birthday. They were taking her to the planetarium in Canterlot. She held onto her mother's hoof as they were thrown from the train, eyes turned up to her, as if questioning why a piece of glass was jutting from her abdomen.

_Oh, Celestia, the irony._

What happened was a bona fide miracle. If Apple Bloom knew what had kept her flesh on her bones, she would have chalked it up to something she didn't understand, or, depending on her mood, would start thanking the princesses in her increasingly thick accent. Something had saved the six from imminent **death. **Something had staved off a destiny that would have put them in the place of their predecessors.

Dinky Hooves opened her eyes, entranced by how arduous a task it was to lift the lids. It was strange: she could feel the folds of lilac skin, yet there was only darkness. She attempted to raise a hoof to the area, but her entire body was held perfectly still, as if she was a doll on display. What had happened to her? Had she lost her life in the crash? Oh… how would Pipsqueak care for Button by himself? No, don't think like that. She was thinking cohesive thoughts. That was a good sign.

Suddenly, Dinky plummeted to the ground, freed of the paralyzation spell holding her together. It wasn't too profound a drop, but the rubble beneath her caused quite a few scratches. Independent, she reached up to her eyes, biting back a scream as her filthy hoof came in contact with her exposed retina. They were open. They were open. A cold feeling of dread settled in her stomach, and the proposal finally dawned on her. Sightless. Darkness. _Blind._

"Hello?" she called out timidly, stretching out her forelegs and dragging herself forward. "Hello? Is anypony there?"

"M-Missus… Missus Hooves?" Pound Cake abandoned his idol's side, jetting towards the trembling mare. "Are you all right?" He knelt down to meet her golden eyes, and backed away inadvertently. Crimson crescents splotched her corneas, giving her the appearance of a Nightmare Night ghoul. "Oh, Celestia… are you okay?"

Dinky reached out to stroke the colt's cheek, body quivering as hoof and flesh met. The little pegasus elicited a throat-twisting squeak, out of sheer terror and immense pity for the kind unicorn. "Pound Cake? Am I touching you?" The truth had made itself perfectly clear, but she couldn't accept it, couldn't accept the fact she would wander through the remainder of her life in a witless daze.

"Y-yes. Missus Hooves, are you… can you see me?" he inquired tightly, retreating from the extended foreleg as if it was laced with poison. Pound waved his hooves sporadically in her field of vision, hoping her sightlessness was only temporary. Dinky didn't even blink. "Were you in the cloud of magic? Wait… you were sitting by the window on the train! You were the furthest from Pumpkin."

"I'm sorry, I don't understand," Dinky whimpered, gripping the young pony. He was the base of her universe, the concrete foundation keeping her grounded. Never again would she gaze lovingly into her husband's chocolate eyes. Never again would she tickle her daughter and watch her smile. Never again would she be a part of the world. "What magic are you talking about?"

"Well, after Pumpkin passed out, all this magic came out of her horn and just surrounded us. She saved us from the train crash. But, you were the furthest away from her, and I guess… maybe you were too close to the flames." A tear, a concentrated drop of shame and sympathy, coasted down his scraped cheek and sliced a track through her grimy coat. "I'm really sorry, Missus Hooves. She tried her hardest, really. I've never seen her do much magic at once. It must've been hard for her to do. Does it… does it hurt much?"

"No, it's just dark. Very dark." Moisture surged through her useless eyes, and she drew Pound Cake closer, burying her snout in his mane. He did not refuse her touch this time, for he now knew he was keeping her safe. The colt stroked Dinky's neck reassuringly, as he so often did with his sister whenever a thunderstorm hit at midnight.

"It's okay, Missus Hooves. I'll help you out, I'll make sure nopony tries to hurt you," Pound offered, joining his free hoof with her own. "We're gonna find the others and keep going until we reach Canterlot. I promise. Wait here for a minute. I found Scootaloo, but she's not waking up, so I'm going to go search. Okay? I'll stay close enough to hear you."

"Okay," Dinky responded, a sad smile struggling to form on her lips. It was so noble of him to be her guide; he reminded her of Pipsqueak. Pound gingerly unfurled his wings, patting the mare's neck before he started towards the wreckage. Scootaloo had not moved since he left her to assist Dinky, but he had checked and ensured her pulse was strong, something Pumpkin had taught him after taking a special medicine class.

It was chillingly silent. His ears were still ringing, but Pound understood that nopony, aside from Dinky, had crawled out of the express's ruins. He flittered anxiously above the passenger car, where he recalled seeing an elderly stallion and a family of three. Their daughter had been pretty, with dainty wings and elusive eyes… ah, he wasn't even interested in fillies yet, and Pound knew she was beautiful.

He threw himself against an enormous chunk of drywall, shoving it away from the metal skeleton of the car. Sour adrenaline was expulsed from his brain with every heartbeat, coursing through his veins and endowing him with a supernatural strength. Pound accepted it as a temporary gift bestowed to him by an unknown force, utilizing it to its fullest extent in order to rescue the ponies he loved. The material began to give, tipping away and revealing a scene that would haunt him for the rest of his life.

"Aah! AAH!" The strangled cries escaped his throat without approval from his brain, a primal reaction to the nightmarish gore displayed before him. Two skeletons were heaped atop one another like mistreated dolls: one was brittle and already broken in several places, the other smaller, but stronger. They had been stripped of their flesh. Nopony would ever see them.

"Pound? Are you all right?"

"Y-yes, I'm all right," he lied, coercing every muscle in his body to hold him together; nothing should leak out. "I just, ah, stubbed my hoof." There was no need to expose Dinky to the horrors: it would affect her, sightless or not. Still, Pound allowed a tear to escape his eye, for the ponies who had lost their lives. Hopefully, neither of the carcasses had been beneath the flesh of his friends.

Motivated by a primal urge to ensure nopony else had lost their lives, Pound soared over the decimated train, searching frenetically for a sign of yellow, white, and orange amongst the somber gray and bland pinks. "Pumpkin! Apple Bloom! Sweetie Belle! Hello! Is anypony there?"

:::::

_white noise white noise white noise WHITE NOISE WHITE NOISE_

_"…is anypony there?"_

_I am receiving._

::::::

The sky was blue. Okay. So it hadn't changed radically, but when she noticed the breaths of smoke curling to the clouds, she experienced a sensation akin to plummeting, wingless, to the floor of a bottomless abyss. Her mind was beginning to form relations with her body, creeping shyly out of the syrupy darkness. The voices had silenced for a short while, but they had returned, and had effectively drawn her out of a halfway state.

A beige blip passed through her narrow field of vision: Pound Cake. So he had survived. Wait, she already knew that. His voice, a slight squeak belying his self-assured sense of maturity, had penetrated the walls over her conscious. So he had survived. Could she say that about the other members of their party?

With a soft grunt, Scootaloo used a hoof to shakily push herself into a somewhat upright position. Immediately, a qualm struck her with the force of a meteorite; she turned her head and promptly vomited. Mortified, despite the fact nopony had watched her, Scootaloo swiped at her mouth with her foreleg, waiting impatiently for the vertigo to pass. She forced her crumpled wings to spread, a shock of pain spreading from the left. Great… if it was broken, she was grounded. No, just sprained. Scootaloo fluttered it for good measure.

The pegasus righted herself, still quaking after her isolation in the void. A few words coiled themselves around her, like bands of pain that were intent on suffocating her. Her mother's lullaby, Pound Cake's voice, the sounds and figures floating on a screen inside of her. Okay, reality now. Take two. Life.

"Scootaloo! Scootaloo, Scootaloo, Scootaloo!"

_Well, at least I know my ears work. _She was, for the first time, handled gently by a Cake twin. Pound minded her bruises, and, instead of launching himself at her chest, he kept his body airborne and hugged her neck. "Oh, you're alive! Yay! I thought you weren't gonna wake up. Okay, I found Dinky, but she… she can't see anymore. I was looking for the others, but now you're awake!"

"Whoa, whoa, hold up a minute, kid. What's wrong with Dinky?"

"Well, Pumpkin kept us safe with a magic… thing, and since Dinky was sitting the furthest away from her, her eyes got messed up in the explosion. She can't see anymore, but I promised to help her." He gestured to the unicorn, who rested patiently on a slab of debris, seeming to see something beyond the horizon. "Are you okay? Did you get hurt?"

"Uh, I think my left wing is sprained, but I can still fly on it. But, I think I survived in one piece. I'll help ya look for the others," she said, stretching the injured wing. Scootaloo propelled both down furiously, lifting herself into the air with ease; she was accustomed to minor impairments. As a Wonderbolt, she had performed with sprains, bruises, even a broken hoof, all with the same smile on her face.

"I'll look over here," the colt stated, flying towards the areas left unexplored. Scootaloo nodded absently in affirmation and turned, getting her first decent view of poor Dinky. In spite of the horrific incident that had eternally handicapped her, she looked strangely calm. Scootaloo landed in front of her, flinching instinctively at the state of her eyes.

"Hey, Dinky."

"Oh, hi Scootaloo! I'm glad to hear that you're okay," Dinky said with a note of relief, tilting her head to follow the mare's sandy voice. "I heard Pound tell you what happened to me."

"Yeah, and I'm not gonna lie to you, that really sucks. I can't believe something like that would happen to such a nice pony like you. You stay here, okay? When we find everyone, me and Pound will help you out. Everything will be fine," Scootaloo assured her, even though she was well aware their plans had been thrown out the window.

Dinky nodded absently, tired of hearing that phrase "everything will be fine". No, it wasn't going to be fine. Their train had crashed, ponies were missing, and she would never see anything again. There you go. Try to find the bright side of that situation.

Scootaloo dove right in, digging unceremoniously through the ruins with the hope of catching even a glimpse of life. "Hello, is anypony there? Hey, hello? AB, Sweets? Pumpkin? Can you guys hear me?" She overturned a smoldering section of flooring, her jaw dropping to the metal below at what was beneath it. Her mouth quivered in the futile attempt to articulate comprehensible words.

The unicorn glanced up at her with lidded eyes, a shaky grin spreading across her scratched visage. "H-hey, Scootaloo," Sweetie Belle rasped, pausing a moment to cough violently. "How are you?"

If Scootaloo had the strength, she would have turned a back flip, all the while chanting "she's alive!", but all she could manage was a squeaky chuckle that was akin to somepony choking a chicken. "Doin' pretty good. How about you?"

"Oh, I've been better," Sweetie said between her short, labored breaths, each one a blade between the ribs. "Surprisingly good for surviving a train crash. If you don't mind, could you get me out of here? I've been under here for a while, and I can't breathe, thank you." Scootaloo hooked her forelegs beneath Sweetie's own, dragging her out of the miniature canyon. "Thank you, I thought I would suffocate down there."

"Hey, no problem. Couldn't let you stay down there. Now, come on, there's, like, a million things I need to tell you, and- -"

"I FOUND HER! I FOUND HER!"

_My Celestia, does that kid come with earplugs? I'm surprised he hasn't blown out his vocal cords. _Scootaloo lulled forward unconsciously, her wings obtaining a mind of their own and chasing the receding echo of Pound's voice. The colt was jumping up and down exuberantly, as if he had just received a Hearth's Warming Eve present. "I found Apple Bloom and Pumpkin! I found them!"

The freckled mare was curled around the filly, panting lightly. Apple Bloom had been closest to Pumpkin Cake on the train, and had grabbed for her the instant the orange aurora closed around her. The tiny unicorn was alive, but her pulse was thready and she breathed irregularly. "Ah got her before we started ta crash. She's okay, but we gotta get out of here."

"I'll get Dinky," Pound volunteered, the words barely leaving his mouth before he vanished. The Cutie Mark Crusaders, finally reunited, formed a knot of wings, tails, and hooves, hugging and holding onto one another for dear life. Scootaloo, with Sweetie Belle pressed into her chest, realized that she hadn't been entirely comprehending what had become of her life. She had been numb, viewing the accident like an out-of-body experience. But this, her dearest friend sobbing silently against her, it was real, it was happening to her. On impulse, Scootaloo lowered her head and whispered reassurances to Sweetie.

"I will never leave you."

"Hey, we're back and there was an accident, so now- -"

"Yes, I'm blind. Thank you Pound Cake, but I think I'll start telling them now." Dinky Hooves braced herself for the onslaught of embraces and comfort to ensue, which she tolerated stiffly. After all was said, she stepped away, waiting for somepony to propose a plan.

"HEY! DON'T MOVE!"

Scootaloo turned to the direction of the shouts of fury, shocked to see a small pack of burly stallions cantering towards them. They were not planning to rescue them: they wanted to arrest them, or, Celestia help, _kill them. _"Quick, everypony! Into the forest! Hurry!"

Apple Bloom tossed Pumpkin onto her flanks, Pound grabbed Dinky's mane, and the six ponies, finally a whole, galloped into the forest bordering the train's tracks.


	6. Chapter 6: The Forest

Part Six:

The Forest

_Run, run, run, run…_

Scootaloo had learned from a very young age that whenever she was in jeopardy or flying faster than the speed of sound, her mind shut down for a brief, but distinctive, moment. No new nor intelligible thoughts were generated by her brain. Instead, a single word lodged itself into her skull, hammering into her bones with every breath. It propelled her forward like a mantra, deep and rounding, say it again, say it again. _Run, run, run, run._

Flight would be too risky. Those stallions, whoever they were, were intent on capturing them, for Celestia knows what. Unless they believed they were the ponies who crashed the train, they had no legitimate reason to pursue them. No other sound, aside from her heartbeat in her ears and throat, had invaded the silence surrounding their party. The screams of the stallions had dissipated after they began to canter, much to Scootaloo's befuddlement. Now was not a time to question things, though. _Run, run, run._

Somepony coughed behind her: Sweetie Belle. Scootaloo recalled how much pain the unicorn had been in upon discovery: unicorns had thinner and frailer bones than the peguasi and earth ponies, who were bred for jobs that required muscles. Well, as long as there was no blood, she decided it was best to _run, run, run. _

"Do ya think they're still after us?" Apple Bloom gasped as she matched Scootaloo's fantastic pace, strands of scarlet hair stuck to her cheek. _Can't really think, _was all the pegasus's mind was able to generate, but she managed to rasp a reply.

"If they are, they're pretty buckin' slow. Maybe they weren't after us at all. Wow, are you seeing spots too?" Flashes of luminescence advanced and ebbed on the edges of her vision field, like the light circles seen after her picture was taken. Apple Bloom gripped her foreleg, both of them grinding to a cessation that caused Scootaloo to recognize the ferocious flames lashing at her sides.

"Ah think it's 'bout time we take a little break. Ooh, Dinky, rock, rock!" The lilac unicorn hastily stepped over the stone, her hooves already lined with scrapes and bruises from minor obstructions in her path. Pound Cake guided her to a halt, one foreleg still curled protectively around her neck. He had become acquainted with the terror that she would wander away from him and end up… **dead. **The very thought sent bone-tightening shivers up his spine, unconsciously drawing Dinky closer to him.

"Has your sister woken up yet?" she inquired, carefully lowering her body to the soft, moist ground. Pound glanced back at Pumpkin, who was on her side in the pine needles, the rise and fall of her chest almost imperceptible. In these moments, his sister was a goddess, radiating a gorgeous, heavenly light that was more compelling than any spell she could conceive.

"No."

"I'd hate… to sound like dead weight… but does it have to be a little break?" Sweetie uttered between labored breaths, the typical color absent from her cheeks. She settled back on her haunches, flanks heaving as she struggled to gasp in massive amounts of oxygen. Celestia, how she wanted to reach out and stuff it down her throat.

"Sweetie Belle, Ah've heard mules on an August afternoon that sounded healthier than ya. Maybe we oughta rest a spell Scoots, it's getting ta be late. In the morning, we can hike on ta Canterlot an' see the princesses 'bout this whole mess." Judging by the flinty edge to her voice, Scootaloo shut her mouth before she could protest against Apple Bloom's conclusion. She had definitely inherited her sister's obstinacy.

_This is just perfect. I've got a blind unicorn, a singer with a broken… um, chest, or something, another unicorn who hasn't opened her eyes yet. Yeesh, since when were unicorns so… breakable? At least I have Pound and AB. I wonder if I brought any painkillers with me. _"Hey, guys, if we're gonna set up, let's find a place to unpack and settle down. Apple Bloom, come with me. Pound, stay here with the girls."

The colt mumbled darkly under his breath, but obediently guided Dinky Hooves closer to the neck of the path. Scootaloo and Apple Bloom started back down the trail, glancing around the enormous trees and thickets lining the soil strip. "Ah just don't know how we got wrapped into this."

"It started with that buckin' letter, AB. I wish I could turn back time and never open it. A train crashed, and it killed other ponies. Dinky. Is. Blind. There are ponies chasing us, probably wanting to kill us, and we're trapped in a stupid forest. I'm just so… tired. I hate this. I hate this, I hate this, I hate this!"

Infuriated, the orange mare bucked wildly at the nearest pine fir. Branches detached themselves from the trunk at the sheer strength of her hind muscles. Scootaloo collapsed and finally broke the dam, finally let it fall, my Celestia, get it out of her, the poison, bitter poison, these tears. Apple Bloom knelt down to enfold the weeping pegasus, calmly stroking her neck as her chest heaved against her own. "It's okay… it's okay. Don't worry, it's okay."

"Please… please stop saying that it's okay."

::::::

"We found a clearing."

Pound Cake lifted his gaze from his sister, offering Apple Bloom a grimace that would have to suffice as a smile. He clambered to his hooves and flew to Dinky's side, shaking the unicorn enthusiastically; her steady breaths told him that she had dozed off. "Wake up… they found a place for us to stay. Dinky?"

"I'm awake." She found her guide's hoof, allowing him to haul her back upright and drive her into the vast universe. Dinky had never thought of the world as such an enormous place, but now that Celestia had switched off the light, it stretched on beyond the brain's ability to comprehend. It was a dangerous, cruel place, filled with hazards and obstacles that would kill her, one way or another. "Let's go."

Pound flittered over to Sweetie Belle, inadvertently drawing back at the grotesque shape of her chest; either her ribcage was askew or someone had crammed a shattered xylophone into her torso. "Whoa… Miss Belle, are you okay? Your chest is… it doesn't look right."

"I'm fine, Pound," she answered thinly, wheezing as she regained her composure and lurched forward, her engine functioning solely on adrenaline. Pound Cake, surprised by her bluntness, decided to excuse her and flew to his sister, who had yet to respond to external stimuli. How he loved her. Celestia, she was amazing. Despite her petite stature, Pumpkin seemed to be larger than life, a deity in the making.

Pound eased his sister onto his flanks, just as he did mere hours ago, surprised by how gaunt she was compared to earlier that day. The bones of her pelvis jutted through her orange coat, practically stabbing his hide. Still, his body, weakened by the emotional and physical strain, struggled to support Pumpkin. He started towards Apple Bloom, who he found to be a robust and spunky young mare, as well as a suitable companion. She occasionally sold apples to the bakery, and was always kind to his parents, if not somewhat secretive. The accident seemed to have peeled back everypony's exteriors, cracked their psyche's open like hen's eggs and dribble their secrets out on the pavement. When their journey ended, however far into the future that might be, Pound Cake supposed he would be able to compose a novel about each traveler.

Apple Bloom led the shabby team back down the trail, still shaken from her encounter with Scootaloo. She recalled being irritated by her incompetence about traveling to Canterlot, not to mention secretly enthralled by her courage. An emotional breakdown was in her future, and Apple Bloom was impressed by how well she had stood until then. It had been a terrible day for her. Apple Bloom didn't mind allowing her to release the unshed tears, even applauded it: Scootaloo needed an outlet for the ocean of emotions raging through her. She tended to bottle her feelings.

The orange pegasus was resting in the clearing they had spotted, her gaze vacant and grave expression giving her the appearance of a mare twenty years older. Her lavender eyes studied her friends apathetically, unseeing and unfeeling. Apple Bloom and Pound Cake, possibly the only rationally-thinking ponies at the moment, exchanged glances that communicated what couldn't be said aloud. _What do we do about everypony? _

_BOOM!_

A tangerine burst of light erupted from Pumpkin, who was beached on her side in the brush. Her eyes, glowing a similar shade of orange, widened, and she pawed frantically at the ground as the magic flowed uncontrollably from her short horn. Garbled shrieks rose in her throat, giving the impression that she was possessed by some horrible evil.

"Pumpkin!" The colt galloped towards his sister, only to be hurled backwards by the sheer energy emanating from her. Frustrated with being calm, he stomped his front hooves into the grass and seethed. _"What's wrong with her?"_

"She's having a magic surge!" Sweetie answered hoarsely, recognizing the episode almost immediately. She had experienced something similar during her third lesson with Twilight Sparkle, an attack that had led to her discovery of magic potential. "Just let her burn out, Pound, just let her burn out!" Leaves were tore from the branches and manes were whipped away from faces. A small clump of ivy caught fire, extinguished by Apple Bloom's quick hooves.

Things moved as if caught in the realm of slow-motion. Pound found himself leaving the ground, suspended by the warm aura his twin sister radiation. He blinked, a dull roar filling his ears and effectively blocking out anything that wasn't… pure. Sweetie Belle, who was on his right, opened her mouth to scream; a luminescence surrounded her injured chest. _Is she… healing us? _Even his thought process was sluggish, and he could feel each second stretching into infinity as his bruises were reduced to freckle-sized spots.

_Ow. _Time returned to its natural rhythm, initiated by Pound landing face-first in the grass. Rubbing his snout, he fluttered his wings and lifted himself off the ground, facing the center of an impromptu ring. A horrible chill raced up his spine at the proposal of the others succumbing to whatever the _buck _that was. The moment passed once Scootaloo jolted upright, her previously crooked wing straightened and the dullness lifted from her eyes. Her coat appeared to shimmer with the remaining embers of Pumpkin's spell.

The petite unicorn, her mouth working around unintelligible words, was convulsing and still throwing off sparks like a live wire. Sweetie Belle rose from the grass gracefully, her ribs set back in place and the band of agony diminished to a dull ache. Whatever had overwhelmed Pumpkin was a follow up spell to the protective force field that had saved them from a fiery death. "Is-is everypony okay?"

Apple Bloom, coughing, nodded to confirm that no serious damage had been done. Dinky Hooves blinked dazedly, the darkness still pinned over her eyes. A worm of jealously formed in her stomach at the thought of everypony else walking away _just fine, _while she continued to stumble about in a sightless daze.

Once he was freed from the grips of Pumpkin's strong spell, Pound dashed to her side and attempted to cradle her neck. A weak, but still painful, electrical current surged through his hooves, forcing him to yank them away. "OW! Okay, ow, ow, ow! Ow…" He suckled on his scorched hoof, a myriad of unrepeatable swear words muffled by the appendage. "Oh, man, Pumpkin, that hurt so bad."

"Sorry," the unicorn replied sleepily, rubbing her glazed eye and yawning. "Are we in Canterlot yet?" Pound Cake only laughed and threw his forelegs around his sister, drawing her to his chest with a gleeful whoop. "Pound, what's going on? And where are you?" She touched the tip of her horn, wincing at the aftershock of a magical spell. "Ow, did I do a spell in my sleep?"

"Pumpkin, you have no idea."

::::::

About an hour later, things had settled down- - at least, the best way things could settle down. Scootaloo, who had discovered herself evolving into a leader of their pathetic clan, had rummaged through everybody's saddlebags, combining their supplies. Snacks, canteens, blankets, shampoo, combs, the letters Scootaloo had salvaged from Twilight, several books (ranging from the simplicity of "Daring Do" to the intricacy of "The Galloping Mare"), and a toothbrush. As the temperature declined, Scootaloo offered the blankets to the trio of unicorns, who were especially exerted from their previous injuries.

"Ya think those ponies are still comin' after us?" Apple Bloom inquired as they began to ignite a flame with the pile of timber Pound had collected. Scootaloo glanced up from the depressingly small heap of nourishment she was attempting to ration out and immediately looked over her shoulder. "What, ya think they're watchin' us?"

"Celestia, I don't know. I'm still thanking the princesses that Pumpkin healed Sweetie and the rest of us. We're gonna keep moving tomorrow, first thing in the morning. If they actually wanted to chase us, I think they would have found us now." The pegasus sighed, offering her pale yellow companion a packet of daises the mare had purchased at the station. "Here. Enjoy it, I don't think we'll be eating anything else until we get to Canterlot."

"Thanks. Ah think yer right, Ah just don't know what this is all about." Using her teeth, she ripped open the plastic bag, eagerly tearing into the blossoms. "It's only been a few hours, but daises have never tasted so buckin' good."

"You said it, sister," Scootaloo said in relief, stuffing a chocolate chip cookie into her mouth without much thought for hunger later. "I'm gonna hand out the rest of the food and see if I can't, you know, find the Elements of Harmony over there." Apple Bloom gazed at her with concern, fearing she might launch into another tirade about the unfairness of their situation, but the pegasus only smiled grimly. "Yeah, I'm not gonna explode again."

Scootaloo brought the remainder of the rations to the unicorns, who were clustered under the thin blanket. "Hey guys, I've brought you some food. Let's see… Dinky, here's some clover. Um, Sweets, I've got some- - ah, yes, cookie, and Pumpkin, you get… okay, here's some daises. You guys okay?"

"Uh-huh," the little filly said with a grin, pushing herself off of the grass and accepting the flowers. Though she was enervated, she felt much better than when she had first stepped onto the train. After Pound narrated the past events to her, Pumpkin had been shocked, but secretly proud that she had managed to save them. Her magic was her greatest skill and with it, all she wanted was to help others. "When are we going to Canterlot?"

"First thing in the morning, kid. So, it's important you get a good night's sleep." _Oh Celestia, I sound like my mother. _"Dinky, we're gonna help you out whenever you need it, okay? Don't worry about a thing, we'll help out in any way we can." The lilac unicorn struggled, but managed a smile, her kind demeanor vanquishing the armies of fury that had threatened her internal tranquility. "How are you feeling, Sweets?"

"Much better, Scootaloo, thank you very much," Sweetie Belle replied, her voice restored to its ordinary silkiness. Once the orange mare was out of sight, she broke her cookie in half and handed the larger portion to Pumpkin Cake. The foal regarded her with enormous eyes, shaking her head firmly before Sweetie stilled it with a gentle hoof. "Shh…"

The white unicorn then handed the other section to Dinky, placing it in her hoof. "Uh, this was from Scootaloo. There was an extra cookie," Sweetie lied effortlessly, hoofing it off despite the fact she hadn't taken a single bite. Dinky nodded absently, devouring it along with her clover, and, after a few minutes of her eerie stare, she was fast asleep.

"Why'd you give us your food, Miss Belle?" Pumpkin asked incredulously, having only nibbled unconsciously on the chunk of baked good. Sweetie smiled down at her, offering her foreleg to the little filly, which she curled into.

"My older sister was Rarity, the most famous dress-maker in Equestria. She was also the most generous pony to ever live. Always helping out her friends and giving them whatever they needed, even if she didn't have anything to spare. I learned everything I know from her. That's why I started to donate my concert profits to charity. There's nothing I love more than watching somepony else get what they need." Sweetie Belle gently cupped the unicorn's chin with her hoof, a grave expression forming on her visage. "It's important to remember what's been taught to us, Pumpkin. It turns you into the pony you want to be."

"I wanna learn as much magic as possible, so I can help other ponies and maybe teach them magic someday. Twilight Sparkle was the best magician in Equestria, and I wanna grow up to be just like her!" Pumpkin announced, turning her oceanic eyes up to Sweetie. "Did you ever know her?"

"Yeah, my sister was close friends with her. She was actually the pony who taught me magic," she added, recalling the murky days of fillyhood, a dusty library, a violet and sap green aura, spell after spell. Pumpkin pushed away from Sweetie's side, looking absolutely shocked. "What?"

"You got to learn from Twilight Sparkle? Herself? Whoa, that's amazing! I only have the textbooks that she wrote and that's where I learned how to do magic!" Slightly envious, she leaned back against the mare's steadily rising flanks, still wishing she could be tutored by the greatest unicorn to ever live. Well, in her opinion. "That's so… amazing."

"I guess it is," Sweetie agreed absently, an abstract idea playing on the edges of her mind. As the sky dissolved into lavender twilight, the foal became quiet and she was as warm as a patch of sunlight. The singer tilted her head to a scythe of moon creeping out of the clouds, the thought pounding like a snatch of a pop song stuck in her head.

_She has Twilight's eyes._

:::::

The stallion surveyed Ponyville from his hilltop, Canterlot rising from the mystical fog in the distance. He watched, a smirk twisting his lips, as the last ponies shuffled away from the market, prepared for a long night's sleep. Within hours though, it would be thrown into tumult the likes of which had never been seen since the invasion of Discord. And even then, he thought boastfully, his invasion would erase the creature from history.

"Prepare to burn," the stallion uttered, his voice like a smooth, cool crest of snow, "prepare to burn, Celestia."


End file.
